MAA: Illegal Justice
by Ironbird53
Summary: Koichi is just you Friendly-Neighborhood-Nice-Guy, until he becomes The Crawler! Together, with Knuckleduster, and Pop Step, our hero fights to get to the bottom of the Trigger drug-network! But when the going gets tough, a western myth appears to give a helping hand! But it makes Koichi wonder, just who is The Batman? What does he want? And what separates him from villains?
1. A Dark Knight

**Here we are! Another story from the same universe as My Avengers Academia! But this time, with Batman! Although this was originally going to be just Batman, I thought it over and decided on another character to add later on.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, or Marvel.**

 **Koichi is just your friendly-neighborhood-Nice-Guy, or so he was. When a legendary vigilante known as Knuckleduster; The Janitor of Justice, offers to take the young college student under his wing, he becomes The Crawler! Together, the duo begin to undo an illegal drug network! But, when Koichi's life is at risk, they find help in a western myth...The Batman!**

 **Who is The Batman? What does he want? And most importantly, what separates him from the villains?**

* * *

 _Naruhata_

The woman didn't see anything.

She was minding herself, trying to get home from work. She didn't take heed of where she was. As anyone else would she took a detour to shorten the trip from work to home by a few minutes.

As soon as she was well into a dark alleyway, they stirred.

Brigands and delinquents surrounded her. She was a little startled at first, playing them off as drunkards and victims of abuse, but quickened her pace to the other side of the alley. It was dark, and she understood that anything can happen where and when she was.

"What's jumping chick?" One of the delinquents said, approaching her. Tension and panic began to take hold.

The woman began to walk even faster. There weren't any heroes around, if she didn't get away right then, she knew she wouldn't make it home safely.

"Aw, don't be like that! Otherwise, we might get..." One of them delinquents then blocked her path, and forced her against a wall, "...Nasty." Her heart beat even faster. There was only one imperative in her mind: Run.

She pushed the brigand, and broke for the exit.

She didn't get far. Even more delinquents grabbed at her, stopping her dead in her tracks. "N-No!" She cried. All she did was take a shortcut to shave a few minutes off her trip. The men all surrounded her, ready to have their way.

And there wasn't a hero in sight.

"See, heroes don't come 'round these parts,"

"They're all scared that they'll get hurt."

"It's a crime, really."

"Somebody outta call the cops!"

"Pah! They're scared they'd get hurt, too!"

"It's dangerous in these parts. But don't worry, we'll _protect_ you!"

She closed her eyes, whatever the gang had in store for her, she didn't want to look. One moment, she was surrounded by monsters of men. The next, well, she didn't see what, or who, changed the situation.

She only heard their screams.

* * *

"The people who need protection are you scum!"

"Who said that?!"

It was over in a mere second. A pair of gloved fists struck down two men. The rest turned to get a look at their attacker.

He stood tall. A black, scabbard cape wrapped around his body. Two tall, pointy bat-ears jutted from the figure's head. A pair of frightening, glowing white eyes narrowed, as if to display an angry expression.

He moved like a wild animal, but somehow attacked with the utmost precision. One man pulled a gun on the shadowy figure. But the figure retaliated by throwing a sharp, knife-like object lodged itself into the barrel of the weapon. The gun exploded in the man's hand, causing him to drop on the ground and writhe in pain. The rest all let the woman go. Quickly, she broke for cover to hide away.

The figure didn't move his arms from his sides when running, making him seem spectral. He brutally beat down the men as though they were letting him. Just like them, the woman too, was absolutely terrified.

Who was this person? Was he a hero? No way he would have a license with such unhinged violence.

The fighters were all absolutely terrified, screaming out of fear that the figure would actually kill them. He slapped and hit them hard, then disappeared into the dark shadows with no trace.

The gunman had finally finished writhing, only to find his companions were all unconscious. "Who's out there?! COME OUT AND FIGHT!" He roared, trying and failing to intimidate this mystery man.

The figure detached himself from the darkness, making a simple yet terrifying march towards the man. The brigand frantically pulled out a knife, only to have it knocked away from his hands. The man backed up until he fell on his rear, and scrambled to his feet, backing away as far as he could.

"W-who are you?" He asked, terrified in every sense of the word.

" **I** am Vengeance..." The figure began.

" **I** am the Night..." He continued as he picked the man up by his collar with both hands.

" **I AM THE BATMAN!** " Roared the figure as he threw the man into the wall, hitting his head in the impact. The poor brigand dropped unconscious.

The woman tried to sneak away, only to trip and fall, letting out a yelp at the unforeseen hazard. She glanced back to find that the figure had taken notice of her. He made his way towards her, she scrambled to her feet, only to fall over again. He strolled as his cape flowed behind him.

She shut her eyes tightly as fear took its hold upon her.

"It's a bad omen to trip and fall, let alone twice." Said the figure, his voice was calm. She opened her eyes, and stared in awe at the figure. He held out a hand to help her up. She quite timidly took it and pulled herself up, slowly. She saw an emblem on his chest, obscured by his cape.

"There's the exit." Said the figure as he pointed to the gate, "For your safety, move quickly." She nervously nodded, she jogged her way out of the alley. She didn't know whether to be afraid, happy, awestruck, or in plain shock.

She turned back to see the figure, but he was already long gone.

* * *

Naomasa Tsukauchi was at the scene as fast as he could possibly could.

All he found were sharp, bat-shaped ninja stars, unconscious brigands, and a woman who had called it in.

It was strange, no heroes were dispatched in the area, and the only witness didn't even see the mystery man's body. Only two pointy ears and white eyes. He was certain of one thing; there was an illegal hero on the loose.

The police swept up any evidence they could find, arrested the perps, and went back to their stations. Vigilantes were rare in this day and age, since being a hero was a sink-or-swim business. He stayed a minute or two after the bulk of the authorities left, as if something was still there, but wasn't. Had the detective looked to the rooftops, he might've glimpsed what he was looking for. Tsukauchi turned and left the alley, dissatisfied that he hadn't found anything more. Overhead, the wind kicked up a little.

And there he was, glistening in the moonlight.

A black, flapping scabbard cape. Two tall, pointy bat-ears. Two white eyes, as though they were angry. but what no one else had seen, was the full emblem on the figure's chest.

A yellow oval, in the center, lied the shadowy outline of a bat.

* * *

 **A/N: Well! I think that's a wonderful prologue. To me, this was the perfect way to start off a Batman story, even if it didn't have a "My Hero Academia Feel" to it.**

 **Just to be clear: This takes places in the same universe as My Avengers Academia. So you can count on some cameos from Marvel characters I planned on putting in this story. I built an extensive lore for what goes on, and who exactly is in this universe.** **The next chapter for My Avengers Academia is almost finished, I'm putting finishing touches, it'll be out today as well as this chapter!**

 **Just a heads-up, I'm writing some DC and Marvel stories, no crossovers in those though. Although, the stories will have their own extended universes. Basically, I'm doing an MCU-styled story universe for both Marvel and DC on their own. DC will include Batman to Batman Beyond, and Justice League. Marvel will have stories for Spider Man to Miles Morales, Iron Man, Avengers, and Captain America. But those will come in due time.**

 **Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	2. The Legend exists

**Here we go! Chapter 2! Although Chapter 1 was Batman, we're finally dipping into Vigilantes territory. This chapter introduces Bruce Wayne to the Vigilantes, in a way.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, or Batman**

 **The chance encounter becomes the talk of the town. People quickly find rumors of similar encounters all over The United States. The strange vigilante had been dubbed, "The Batman."**

 **But what's The Batman doing all the way in Naruhata? And how come Bruce Wayne arrives at the same time?**

* * *

"Hey Koichi!" Said Pop Step.

"Hmm?"

"Didja hear what went down last night?"

"No? What happened?"

"You're so dense! Another sighting of The Batman popped up!"

"The Batman!?"

The Batman was a myth, no one truly believed that he existed. After all, who could believe a man dressed in a bat costume would be running around at night? Let alone preying upon the scum of society. Another myth would be the Scarlet Spider, but this myth occurred much more than the Batman. But what made this Batman sighting much more unnatural, was that this sighting was in Naruhata. And there have only ever been sightings of Batman in North America.

Knuckleduster entered Koichi's house. "Master! Didja hear about the Batman?" He scowled as he deadpanned, "I did, it's all anyone would talk about today. Seriously? A guy running around in a bat costume? That's just screaming issues."

 _"Says you."_ Both Koichi and Pop Step thought.

* * *

 _Later that day..._

The three Vigilantes began to patrol the public roads. Many were unnerved by Knuckleduster, creeped out by Crawler, and aroused by Pop Step.

All in all, a rather unproductive day.

"Boy, this is getting boooooring!" Complained Pop Step. "Why can't we call it a day?" Crawler provided the only logical answer, "Well, it's either this, or letting _him_ run about." Indirectly, he was referencing Knuckleduster.

"I see what you mean." Concurred Pop Step.

The two young Vigilantes turned their attention to a forming crowd.

"What's all the ruckus?" Asked Crawler.

"It's Bruce Wayne!" Cheered an excited fan-girl, "He's coming to Japan to help branch out Wayne Enterprises! He looks so dreamy!" Crawler blinked, Pop Step was already incorporated in the crowds of gathering fans. "This guy's _that_ popular?" Crawler mumbled to himself.

Bruce Wayne was the CEO of the renowned Wayne Enterprises. He was also popular for being a genius playboy philanthropist. It was also theorized that he had a connection to the Batman, but the theories never got enough evidence and eventually died away. His was a famous story; At the age of 10, his parents were murdered right in front of him, but ever since, he's seemed to not have been bettered by his devastating loss. Despite being Quirkless, Bruce showed no fear when it came to discussing topics like Villains, as though he had the strongest Quirk of them all.

Crawler only watched as Bruce began to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

"Hmph! Some guys have it made!" Mumbled Crawler as he left the crowd.

"Oh, hey!" Someone called from behind.

Crawler turned around, only to see Bruce Wayne standing in front of him. "You're the Cruller, right? From the popular "Vigilantes of Naruhata?'"

"Well, it's actually the _Crawler_."

"Oh! That makes more sense!"

Crawler was stunned, no one ever accepted his name was actually the Crawler.

"I'm Bruce Wayne, head of Wayne Enterprises." He said, "I'm actually quite interested in the Vigilantes of Naruhata. If you want, I can let you test some prototype equipment from-!"

"Of course!" Shouted Crawler. Crawler quickly became embarrassed with himself. "Okay! Just stop by whenever you want to talk!" Bruce said cheerfully, he then handed Crawler a business card, and made his exit.

Crawler somehow instantly became awestruck by Bruce Wayne.

* * *

 _A little later..._

"Mr. Wayne!" Shouted Crawler, "I am the man awestruck by greatness! The Crawler!" He declared, as he struck a pose. He had just arrived at the just-starting Japanese Branch of Wayne Enterprises.

Crawler found himself embarrassed once more as Bruce giggled.

"Anyway, you made your mind up that fast?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright then." Said Bruce, "Well, Mr. Crawler, prepare to be amazed!" The two then went on a tour of the development, engineering, and laboratories that spanned all throughout the building.

Crawler was truly awestruck by it all.

The Vigilante then checked his watch, "Uh oh!" Bruce looked with confusion, "I'm late! I'm so sorry Mr. Wayne, but I gotta meet up with my frie-associates!" He stammered as he took off at full speed. Bruce simply chuckled as he called, "Have a nice day, Crawler!" It was then that Bruce himself got a phone call with a strange ring tone...

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

It was dusk.

Another Instant Villain had popped up as soon as Koichi met up with Knuckleduster and Pop Step. This villain had what appeared to be a hardening Quirk of some sort, not unlike the last one they faced.

But unlike the last, this one was far faster, as though he had a Strong-arm Quirk.

Crawler quickly went on the defense, and did everything he could in order to not get hit by the quick and deadly attacks. Knuckleduster simply blocked, but quickly found that blocking successfully would be next to impossible.

"Guys!" Shouted Pop Step, "You can't take that guy! We need an actual hero!"

The citizens were pushed to a safe distance, left to watch like an audience to the tag-team fighting match. Despite the stubborn Vigilantes pressing on, it was obvious that all it took would be one lucky moment for it to be all over for them.

 _A few blocks away..._

A cloaked figure with white, beady eyes watched the struggle.

"Penny One?" He said.

 _"Sir,"_ The voice of an Englishman crackled over the comm, _"Perhaps the time has come for you to step into the light a little."_

"But is that much attention really what we need?"

 _"It appears they very much need it, Sir."_

"Very well, Penny One. I think it's time I use the new wheels."

 _"Of course Sir, but do try to keep your new overalls clean this time. I won't be there to clean your play-clothes if you get them dirty, either."_

"No promises."

 _Meanwhile..._

Knuckleduster really couldn't take much more of the villain's attacks.

In truth, the Instant Villain couldn't even think straight anymore, and began to roar random gibberish at his foes.

The Janitor of Justice was wide open for a final blow. The Instant Villain began to wind up a devastating finisher.

Everyone's attention turned to the sound of a very loud motorcycle engine.

A caped figure leapt from the handlebars, revealing only one arm, holding a grappling gun of some sort. The figure swooped in, unleashing a powerful kick the Villain's head. With one barely successful attack, he back-flipped off the stunned Villain.

He hit the ground, and stood tall.

The Villain recovered, snarling grotesquely at the caped figure.

The caped man made a _click!_ , and his motorcycle raced to his side, like an obedient pet. He then quickly mounted his ride as the Villain charged angrily at him. The caped man evaded, his cape flapped in the wind he kicked up. Revealing his emblem for all to see.

It was in the shape of a bat.

"It's...The Batman!" A handful of people realized. Many more of the crowd quickly pulled out any recording device they had, and began to capture every second they could of the western myth in action.

The Batman was already annoyed, and wanted to finish this now.

He'd already gained enough distance from the Villain to put on his newest set of overalls, and now he had the motivation to do so.

With the loud squeal of tires, the Batman made a 180 degree turn, and faced the Villain. The Villain, his reasoning dulled and overconfident in himself, rushed forward to deliver a decisive blow. The Batman twisted one of the handlebars on his cycle, and pressed a trigger.

His cycle then broke itself apart. Countless pieces shifted, hydraulics hissed, and cladding moved all over. Although, it wasn't falling to pieces: It was changing. Steam hissed and puffed as all the disassembled components began to wrap themselves comfortably around the Batman. Lights flickered on, and suddenly, the Batman's motorcycle had turned itself into some sort of exo-suit. (Armored Batman/Batman Ninja.)

None of the people watching knew what was worse, that the Batman's frown turned to a scowl, or that his motorcycle just turned into a exo-suit.

The Batman, saying nothing, went immediately on the attack. Despite the Villain's speed, he was no match for the sheer technological power behind the Batman's mechanized fists. It seemed as though it was over in mere seconds by the time the Batman stopped dodging. Despite his bulky armor, he moved as though it was his very body. The Villain's sturdy body began to soften as he lost his ability to focus. The Batman kept sending more and more punches at the Villain, and all he could do was simply pray that none of them struck a vital organ.

The Villain fell back as the Batman finished his brutal onslaught. The poor victim then fell unconscious as his drug-induced boost dissipated.

The Batman finally let up as he saw that his foe couldn't even lift his head.

The crowds were in an uproar. "The Batman exists!" they posted all over social media.

The Batman simply turned his armor back into a motorcycle, and zoomed off.

Knuckleduster simply said, "Yeah, he's got issues."

The Vigilantes then identified and marked down the Villain, or at least, what the Batman left intact, and made their leave.

The authorities could only find large potholes, and an unconscious Trigger addict lying in a crater.

* * *

Bruce sat in his secondary Batcave.

"Well, Alfred. If there was any belief I existed before, they certainly believe now."

 _"I see, Master Bruce."_ Said Alfred, on the video-screen, _"But I must say, it had to happen eventually."_

"I guess you're right."

 _"And the Vigilantes?"_

"They know what they're doing...I suppose a collaboration could work."

 _"Most splendid, Master Bruce!"_

* * *

Koichi and Kazuho were in absolute awe.

Videos and texts of the Batman were already spreading faster than wildfire.

Knuckleduster, on the other hand, was very opposed to the Batman. "Who knows what he went through as a kid? And the amount of funding it would take to make this super-suit he wore is ridiculous!"

"But think!" Said Kazuho, "He could be a big help!"

"Nope." Adamantly concluded Knuckleduster, "That guy just screams problems."

Both Koichi and Kazuho could only think, _"He's not the only one."_

* * *

 **A/N: Tah-Dah! I feel happy continuing this, it's just so much fun to come up with it as I go along! I just wanted to take this time to apologize for something though: I messed up Tales of Fantasy! I accidentally posted Chapter 1 again, instead of posting what was supposed to be there! But fear not, I corrected this as soon as I could!**

 **A Prime's Tail chapter 2 is underway! I've been getting a lot of good reception, as well as requests for making Optimus a Machias, instead of human. I'm just going to say this now: Optimus isn't human either, and he's not going to be paired, I can't think of any pairings that could possibly work for Optimus. As for him not being human, the "Human Form" is actually just a disguise, he's more like an android when I think about it. But anyway, I got so much reception from chapter 1, that chapter 2 has become my main priority, so expect chapter 2 to be the next thing you get from me!**

 **Bumblebee's story is being drafted as of now, The Traveler (I'm so sorry! I know I keep promising things, but I get so sidetracked, all the time, and it makes me feel like I'm letting you all down!) chapter 1 is still underway, I thank you all for waiting so long for it. My Avengers Academia will be updated soon (I hope.). I'm drafting the Doom and Goblin Slayer crossover too.**

 **Next Time: Batman's introduction in Naruhata sets off a number of shadowy onlookers. But the worst of them all in Stendhal, the terrifying mad slasher of villainy! As the tension grows, Batman finds himself on the receiving end of a deadly sword!**

 **Can the Dark Knight face the Judgement of Stendhal? Find out soon! Same Bat-story, same Bat-fiction!**

 **If you have requests or questions, don't be afraid to say them!**

 **Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care! See you next time!**


	3. Judgement of Stendhal

**It's here! And it's huge! This is my favorite chapter thus far, since it's giving Batman a fun little story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, or My Hero Academia Vigilantes**

 **With his existence revealed, Batman finds it hard to continue his work uninhibited.**

 **There are villains lurking about, and they're all onto him. But the worst one is the mad slasher, Stendhal. The serial killer hunts down villains and murders them, and only the Batman can stop him! Can Batman survive the Judgement of Stendhal?**

* * *

"It doesn't matter." Said Bruce, "I can work with this."

" _But sir! The media will obstruct your work!_ " Cried Alfred.

It had been only a few hours since Batman's existence was confirmed. It had already made the top of social media all over the world. Bruce wouldn't be amazed if someone decided to make a news broadcast.

He jokingly turned on the News Channel, and sure enough, he found several reports and newscasts already chatting about the discovery.

" _Sir, you need to return to Gotham! It will be much safer if you come back instead of-!_ "

"Think, Alfred. If I leave now, that'll just put more suspicion on me. Batman may be able to leave, but Bruce Wayne can't. I'm staying here until my work in the Japan branch of Wayne Enterprises is finished." Explained Bruce.

Alfred made an audible sigh, " _Just be careful sir._ "

"When am I not careful?" Asked Bruce.

The awkward silence between Alfred and Bruce easily answered for Bruce's rhetorical question.

Alfred sighed again, " _This will not end well._ "

* * *

In the days that followed, the Batman slowly but noticeably appeared more often.

It almost seemed that he was daring others to catch him.

Unlike before, the Batman began to appear in the daytime. There were many, Heroes, Villains, Media, even regular citizens that always tried to follow him. But every time, whether it was disappearing around the corner, or simply diving off a bridge, he always managed to get away on some fancy vehicle. He would always be one step ahead of everyone.

However, there was one dangerously close call.

Batman had just finished off a small-time crook for mugging.

And then he saw him.

He wore a mask that shrouded his face in darkness. He held a very dirty-looking katana, and several knives. He was garbed in a presumably homemade combat suit. He had a long, black ponytail.

"You're the Batman, the Dark Knight." He said, his voice was like strained hissing.

"And you are?"

"I am Stendhal, an ally of Justice." He introduced himself. Stendhal then had leaped onto an air conditioner. "You'll see how well I can dispense justice." Stendhal hissed. With that, the swordsman then leaped away into the night, covered by a veil of darkness.

Batman turned to where Stendhal last stood, and found a dead corpse. The body looked like it belonged to a Trigger addict. The left hand and a good majority of the head and torso were slashed off completely.

It didn't take a detective to figure out who did it.

* * *

Stendhal landed without a sound. He disappeared when he was longer needed.

Once again, Judgement of Justice had been administered.

But The Batman? The Western Myth? It was simply too much for a mere disciple of Judgement. The rush he'd gotten from meeting the living legend, the very being that had inspired his crusade for Justice! If he hadn't left quickly, he would've most certainly become overwhelmed by such a sight!

After seeing Stendhal's heroic deeds, Batman would surely praise him!

Then, and only then, could he bear the anxiety of meeting The Batman in person.

Stendhal felt the need to work quicker, and more frequently. Then, The Batman would see that he, Stendhal, was worthy of standing on the same ground, and breathing the same air as he!

Stendhal pulled out a set of photos.

"This one...Is next." He said, eyeing a picture of Soga.

* * *

Night after night, the Batman chased Stendhal down every chance he got.

But every time, Stendhal had managed to give the slip. With that mask over his face, it would be impossible to get a facial recognition. Stendhal made a habit of striking quickly and delivering killing attacks, and never really got hit by his foes, that ruled out a DNA test. This was one maniac that Batman couldn't simply track down.

Several people, whether they committed petty crimes or major, were not safe from Stendhal's judgement. All those people, despite their crimes, deserved a right to live. Batman had to act if he was to catch this mad slasher.

He came very close.

 _When he came close..._

Stendhal had sliced a thief in two, leaving a bloody mess over the ground.

Batman had a single moment to catch him.

"Hold it!" He ordered, landing on the ground. He wrapped his cape around him as he stood up, casting an ominous shape in his shadow. "Batman! Is there something you wish for me to do?" Asked Stendhal, as he turned his head.

"I'm here to turn you in."

This sentence shocked Stendhal. "What?!" He hissed. "Your reign of terror ends here, Stendhal. Every time I see you, you're carving up a petty crook!" Batman shouted accusingly.

"You're joking! These villains must be destroyed! They are the vermin that taint society! If we do not slay them, they will only multiply! This is the only way to prevent future crimes! This is true, pure justice!" Screeched Stendhal.

"This isn't justice! It's mass-murder!" Roared Batman.

"I see..." Concluded Stendhal, "You sympathize with them! You're just as bad as the scum of society!" He howled. Batman slowly drew a Batarang from his belt. Thankfully, his movements were concealed by his cape. Stendhal drew his massive sword, ready to attack the Batman relentlessly.

The murderer rushed Batman, with the intent to kill. He thrust his sword at his foe, attempting to plunge it into his belly. Batman sidestepped, and ran his Batarang against the katana, effectively pushing it away from his body. Stendhal was forced to recover from his foolhardy attack, and stumbled forward.

Batman took his Batarang, and attached it over his knuckles. The Batrang began to spin, until it seemed as though Batman's hand had turned into a circular saw. He swung his punches at Stendhal, driving him back from himself. Stendhal hissed with anger at Batman.

Suddenly, Stendhal leaped above Batman, and managed to cut into the vigilante.

Although the wound was quite shallow, it still hurt. Batman grunted as Stendhal seized the momentary pause in his movements. The madman hacked away at his victim, making several cuts on Batman.

Batman dropped to his knees as he writhed in agony.

"No-one will come to save you." Whispered Stendhal. The mad slasher began to monologue, "I'm truly sorry. But you sinned against your oath to justice. I'll end you now, and save you from suffering any longer!" Stendhal raised his blade, ready to end Batman.

Suddenly, a newcomer leaped in.

"Gotcha now!" Shouted Knuckleduster, as he socked Stendhal, and sent him flying.

Stendhal, however, quickly recovered and further analyzed his predicament. There were to people who tried to fight him, he needed to either persuade, or evade them. Being smart, Stendhal chose the latter, and scampered away before anything else could happen. When Knuckleduster was sure that Stendhal left, he turned to face the fallen Batman.

The only trace he found were torn-up pieces of fabric.

Knuckleduster knew that the Batman couldn't possibly get very far, not with the wounds he carried. In truth, had Knuckleduster been more aware, he would've seen the Batman. But sadly for the muscular vigilante, he could find no further trace of Batman. He glanced at a pile of trash, thinking it might've held his quarry. But it hid nothing. Knuckleduster, tired of his search, then walked out of the alley.

The wounded vigilante was currently sitting in a nearby pile of trash, hiding under his cape. Thankfully, the cape could be fashioned into a disguise, similar to a trash bag.

Batman, however, couldn't hold this disguise forever. He was cut up, and in need of bandages. If he remained in this position too long, he risked bleeding out, getting his wounds infected, or being discovered. He couldn't just check into a hospital, not even as Bruce Wayne. Doing so would raise too many questions, and basically give out the Batman's true identity.

He didn't know if there was any blood left lying around. If there was, the police were sure to find it, and that too, would destroy the Batman's mystery. He risked a peak of his surroundings. Miraculously, there was no one in sight. Batman then began to move, in order to escape the alley. Batman stood up, and limped down whatever path he could.

His stealthy escape was short lived.

He heard someone gasp, "THE BATMAN!" He heard a male voice exclaim. "GUYS! LOOK! IT'S THE BATMAN!" The voice called out. Batman, hidden fear building up in his system, changed from limping, to skipping. He heard footsteps, overlapping chatter, and heavy breathing.

He wasn't getting away without a chase.

He could see flashes of light; They were taking photos of him. This only made him move faster, and faster. He finally reached the end of the alleyway, and now could find his Batmobile.

Unfortunately, this exit led him straight to a very populated street.

He pulled out his Grapple Gun, and shot for the roofs. It was obvious to the average onlooker that he was wounded, but he couldn't just stop and call for help from them. Doing so would only jeopardize his secret identity. Currently, as he was hobbling across the rooftop terrace of some building, he found that he had a second to breath.

Or so he thought.

He heard a massive thud behind him, and then a second thud.

He whipped around, only to find Knuckleduster and Pop Step standing behind him. Knuckleduster punched his own hand, and cracked his knuckles. "Normally, I'd just slug you." Said the muscular vigilante, "But you're all busted up, so I'm going to give you a choice. You can either take off that cowl, and give up this facade. Or, I'll make you." Threatened Knuckleduster.

Batman said nothing.

"For once, just do what he says. It's not like you have another option." Pleaded Pop Step.

Batman's eyes simply narrowed, he was getting angry.

Batman really couldn't fight Knuckleduster in his current state. His best hope was to buy himself time to find an escape.

Please work. Please work. Please work. Please-!

"If that's the way you're making it. Then I'll just make it quick, so you won't feel a thing." Knuckleduster said.

It didn't work.

The vigilante marched up to Batman, ready to get his licks in. But Batman was far quicker, and acted first. The Dark Knight threw a smoke bomb, masking him from plain sight. However, Knuckleduster was able to blow away the smoke a lot quicker than anyone Batman ever faced before. The vigilante had blown the smoke away in mere seconds.

But by that time, Batman had already leapt off the edge of the terrace.

The Dark Knight had changed his cape into a glider, and began to swoop away into the night.

* * *

Thankfully, Bruce had managed to dodge the bullet again.

The hard part was telling Alfred about all of this.

Normally, one would think that if Bruce simply didn't tell Alfred, no one would be the wiser. But alas, Alfred had a knack for seeing through lies, especially when Bruce's vitals could be monitored from the Batcave, all the way back in America.

He'd get a long, long scolding for this one...

 _One Scolding later..._

Bruce got quite an earful from his faithful butler.

Currently, Bruce managed to wrap his entire body in bandages. Alfred made sure that he did. Although the CEO of Wayne Enterprises was in his prime, and Batman, he still couldn't help but fear his butler's wrath.

Bruce finally worked the courage to hang up the phone, and stew in his predicament. Knowing Alfred, the butler would probably drop whatever activities he was engaged in, and fly all the way to Japan just to further scold Bruce.

But now was no time to think of tomfoolery! Stendhal escaped, and the Vigilantes of Naruhata certainly weren't going to welcome Batman with open arms.

Bruce thought over his predicament. Stendhal managed to get the upper hand, he needed to know how to combat him. What was he missing? What could be changed to give him better protection?

He'd thought of several ideas, none of which would've gone entirely well.

He could deploy the Fireproof Suit, but it'd be too cumbersome, since it was designed for fighting in extreme thermal temperatures. None of the vehicles would help, since Stendhal was too nimble for any of them. His Batsuit didn't stop Stendhal before, and it certainly couldn't do so anymore.

He needed armor.

Bruce quickly began to work on this new "Bat-Armor." Unlike the Fireproof Suit, this suit would be faster, sleeker, and better suited for fighting small targets. This would be perfect! This was a idea...

...An idea that would ultimately become pointless.

Bruce stopped. Why was he doing this? Surely, this wasn't some half-baked idea? He didn't need armor before, so why did he need it now? Bruce placed his work down on the workbench, and set about repairing his Batsuit. Perhaps, he was being stupid, and he really did need Bat-Armor. But right now? What he needed was something to do, and building armor wasn't something he had a lot of time for. Although, the idea was interesting, something to work on later. But as of this moment? He needed to work on his Batsuit.

Stendhal had really messed up the suit. The cape was done for, the lower half was shredded, the gauntlets were busted beyond a quick-fix. Bruce would have to improvise if he wanted to catch Stendhal quickly. He found a pair of camouflage pants, some biker boots, gauze, and a beige overcoat.

Suddenly, the Bat-Net Alert went off. Batman knew exactly what it was: Stendhal. This time, he'd bring something a lot better than a Batarang. He took 2 new devices he'd spent his recent time building.

Before Batman left, he turned back one last time to look at his half-baked idea. Before he gave up, he'd managed to finish the cowling. It had two, massive, white eyes. The "Mouth" was designed with white, sharp teeth, like a demonic jaw. The cowl looked like that of some sort of Bat-Demon. Upon reflection, it was simply too much, not only would it scare his enemies, but those he needed to protect.

He just wasn't ready to make such a change in wardrobe.

Maybe someday, but not yet.

* * *

The Crawler messed up. Big time.

He'd found Soga, the poor man was being attacked by Stendhal. In the act of trying to carry Soga to safety, Stendhal stabbed his leg, and somehow paralyzed the young Vigilante.

He was going to die.

Stendhal stood over the two, who both writhed in agony, but were helpless to move, let alone escape. "No-one will come to save you." He sneered, raising his blade for the final blow.

Suddenly, whistles could be heard through the air.

Stendhal leapt away, flying deeper into the alleyway. A figure landed next to the struggling victims. "M-Master?" Said Crawler, his hopes began to peak.

Alas, it wasn't Knuckleduster.

(Batman Knightmare Suit)

"Relax, kid. He's mine." Said Batman.

"So," Said Stendhal, "You return to face me again?! After I nearly killed you?!"

"Of course." Stated Batman, "It's because I'm Batman."

"Knuckleduster won't save you a second time. I'll make sure justice is served."

"Stop acting like you know what justice is! I'm an ally of justice! You're just a madman with a sword!" With that, Stendhal rushed Batman. Unlike before, Batman decided to use something other than a Batarang.

This time, he used a pair of Bat-Knuckles.

He countered Stendhal's swing once more. Instead of letting Stendhal recover, he went on the attack. Batman realized what went wrong when he first fought Stendhal: He was on the defense, rather than the attack.

Stendhal noticed this change in tactics, and quickly backed away.

"You cannot deny justice!" Spat Stendhal. "Would you shut up already?!" Roared Batman. The two then began to trade attacks, each one was countered or evaded. Batman, however, couldn't maintain this edge for long. His wounds slowed his movements, sooner or later, Stendhal would get lucky. Stendhal almost got his chance. Both he and Batman saw it, but Batman was helpless to try and stop him. Suddenly, Stendhal leaped back once more.

Out of nowhere, Knuckleduster swooped in.

"You must've forgotten," Said Knuckleduster, "'Cuz I'm here!"

For the first time, both Batman and Knuckleduster stood side-by-side. "Copy-cat." Sneered Knuckleduster from over his shoulder. "Cheapskate." Returned Batman. The two then made fighting stances, and prepared to counter Stendhal's onslaught.

Stendhal hissed with rage. Yet again, these two heroes were obstructing him from administering justice! It made his blood boil, why would they, heroes he'd worshiped, do such an abhorrent thing?!

This had to end, right here. Right now.

Stendhal then finally smirked under his mask, he knew just how to finish these villains off, once and for all! He sprinted right for them, his sword ready for the kill. A hero was a being who is sublime, transcendent! Neither could've had the ability to time their attack right. This was the first time he'd ever sprinted towards them. He'd catch them right off gua-!

Suddenly, both Batman and Knuckleduster stepped forward, they began to wind-up for a devastating double-punch. It was too sudden, Stendhal had no chance to evade. Knuckleduster struck with his left fist, Batman punched with his right. Their attack connected, right with Stendhal's face.

The combined strength of both Batman and Knuckleduster was so great, that Stendhal's mask shattered apart, and sent the mad slasher flying back several meters.

Stendhal laid on his back, Batman slouched in exhaustion, and Knuckleduster walked to pick up the broken mask Stendhal dropped.

"He wears a mask to sink into the role, huh?" Preached Knuckleduster, "You run into people like that, now and then. by putting on some costume or disguise, they convince themselves they're different from their everyday selves. They pretend to make themselves immortal super-humans. Guys like that can be real trouble, since they go charging in, ignoring common sense and safety. But, when someone stands up to _them_ instead, turns out they're fragile."

Batman knew for a fact that Knuckleduster was insulting him. The Dark Knight said, "The reason I wear this is functionary. I can't instill fear in criminals by just going around, I need to become something much, much more."

"I see..." Growled Stendhal, "I understand now." The freakish psychopath then leaped to his feet, objects spilling out of his pockets. He snatched up his katana. "My ignorance, like my mask, has been stripped away." He then sent a flurry of strikes towards Batman and Knuckleduster. The madman got lucky and momentarily disabled the two Vigilantes. He leaped onto an Air Conditioner, "Those even more sinful than villains. Those that lack determination yet still applaud themselves; Sham Heroes!"

"I am grateful for this lesson, from an elder." Hissed Stendhal. His hair, which was once a ponytail, became wild and unkempt, falling over his bloody and bruised face. He then zipped onto a fire escape, and leaped back into the shadows of which he came.

Pop Step arrived a minute or so after, and began to assist the wounded Vigilantes. Currently, she was chatting a little with Soga, as she patched him up. Something felt off, Batman could feel it. There was something wrong with this entire event.

Why Soga?

Batman then noticed the contents Stendhal dropped as he escaped. They were photos, all of them being random pictures of people, one or two had been covered in blood. The the average person, one would assume that Stendhal was an average serial killer.

But to the famed World's Greatest Detective, this was something much, much more.

"Find something?" Said Knuckleduster. "I thought you didn't like me." Said Batman. "Some things are more important than that. Now stop stalling." Growled Knuckleduster, clearly fighting to act mature and composed.

Batman found himself impressed.

"Take a look at these."

He displayed the pictures to Knuckleduster. "Looks like a hit-list." He concluded. "Wrong." Stated Batman. This put Knuckleduster in amusement. "Oh? What does it mean to you?"

"This is an experiment."

Knuckleduster then became really interested.

"Someone, or Stendhal himself, was going after this specific set of individuals. If I recall, each of these people were confirmed addicts of Ideo Trigger, the Quirk Booster. But that's not entirely the case."

"Hm?"

"Stendhal's too ignorant to have pulled this off on his own. He had someone guiding him. There's more to this than we know. Whoever's behind this, they're running tests. And when subjects are no longer useful-"

"-You can't just let them loose." Finished Knuckleduster.

"We've got to work faster. The guilty party's clearing out shop."

"What're you two babbling about?!" Interrupted Pop Step.

"We're discussing adult things, kid." Answered Knuckleduster. The muscular Vigilante turned back to Batman, "Listen, I've done some stupid shit. But it's obvious we have a common goal, so I'll get over myself for now." Batman simply nodded. "So, how am I gonna find you?" Inquired Knuckleduster.

"You won't."

Without warning, Batman whipped out his Grapple Gun, fired, and zipped onto a Fire Escape. He squatted as he perched himself on the rusty railing. The Dark Knight turned back to face the Vigilantes one last time.

"I'll find you."

With that, Batman vanished.

* * *

Batman stood ominously on a ledge, very high up, overlooking the Naruhata district.

He'd uncover everything, he'd do what he had to if he was going to end this drug distribution network. He'd make them proud, both his Mother and Father. He'd become a bat, and strike fear into his enemies.

In truth, Batman had no idea how far he would take his vice-like grip of fear.

Perhaps it was time to shed the title of "Man."

Maybe he should embrace the "Bat."

* * *

This was the night Stendhal died.

He stood at a sink, blood trickling into the drain, he glared into the cracked mirror set before him.

He wheezed, he coughed, "Power. Speed. Weapons. Strategy. As I am now...I'm lacking far too much." He contemplated, "But my greatest deficiency is...Yes...Determination." He fished his knife out of the broken mirror. His eyes were feral, and bloodshot. He'd truly gone insane.

"Hmm..." Sneered Kuin,"The way I look at things-work, life, whatever-Everything's better when it's interesting. But there's nothing interesting about determination, no matter how much you got!" She then began to chuckle.

Suddenly, Stendhal's knife flew with unrivaled accuracy, and struck Kuin right in her left eye. **"SHUT UP!"** He snarled, enraged and offended by Kuin's relaxed comment

She fell to the floor, one would believe the sudden attack had killed her. He turned back to the mirror, "Yes...Good. No mask for me...Not anymore." He looked into the mirror one last time, and turned away to leave. He limped away, walking down the dark hallway before him.

"My flashy mask cracked. My false mask has fallen away." He mumbled insanely, "Now, I finally see the _true_ nature of this world with eyes uncovered, unclouded. No truths, no falsehoods, no boundaries to cross. All that we know exists as a maelstrom of chaos."

He left Kuin where she lay. She slowly got up, and murmured to herself, "Talking to himself again, too cryptic. What a narcissist." She pried the knife out of her eye, revealing several bees. These bees had stopped the knife before it could sink too deep into her head. Truly, they gave their lives for their Queen Bee.

"Well, I don't mind." She continued, "Because he sure is interesting."

He'd limped far out of earshot.

"I am the faceless ideal. One who acts without really existing." He hissed, "I will dye this world red. The blood that flows from me is proof enough." He stumbled as he walked into the darkness, blood dripping from his body. "It is the path I leave in my wake...A path to serve as a guide for others."

He made one final, bone-chilling remark, "These bloodstains will never fade..." With that, he vanished into the pitch-black darkness.

It was the night Stendhal, the mask of Judgement had died, and the night Stain, the Hero-Killer was born.

* * *

 **A/N: done! This chapter was a little longer than most of my regular chapters.**

 **Usually, I give myself a quota of 1000-2000 words per chapter. This time, I decided to move past that quota, in order to give the chapter a Batman-esque feeling to it.**

 **This way, if feels like something you'd see in superhero cartoons from 2000-2015. I wanted to give it much more perspective, and I hope that's the achieved effect. Let me know what you think!**

 **A little profile update: Right now, I'm writing a Spiderman/MHA crossover, starring Peter B. Parker! You can already tell this is gonna be a fun story. In this crossover, Peter winds up in Japan! One thing leads to another, and he becomes a (sort of) Teacher at U.A! Can he prove he can still do it? Or is he too old to even try?**

 **I also started thinking of a fun little humor/satire/parody (sort of) One-Shot compilation! This'll include things like Mighty Morphin' Iron Rangers, Ultra Ant, and more!**

 **Those're gonna be fun to write, but for now, back to Batman.**

 **Something I introduced into this chapter is a foreshadowing of the future to come. I'm not saying what was foreshadowed, but I can tell you that it won't be a fight with Stain. That I'm saving for the main story. This'll be an interesting idea. When Quirkless have Quirks, that's a hint, but no more.**

 **If you have questions, suggestions, or anything you want to say, go ahead!**

 **Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


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